Crucible

by Luminary

Six - Luna: Fracture

“Enough, Twilight Sparkle! We will hear no more of this foolishness.” Luna was on her haunches outside of the cell Twilight had chosen. The door was wide open, but the unicorn was sitting as far from it as possible, tucking herself against one of the corners. The filly looked very, very tired, Luna thought. When she glanced up, her injured, luminous eyes didn’t even seem to bother trying to focus on anything. The goddess felt a pang of guilt at snapping at her friend. She forced her tone in the direction of something more sympathetic and subdued, even if she couldn’t quite match her Sister’s motherly demeanor. Twilight wasn’t great at handling stress at the best of times. The last week had been about as bad as times could get. “Dearest Twilight, thine magic is great, but no fire couldst thou conjure would do more than warm mine Sister. The wild magic that thou were casting about when we approached would have hurt, and might be the cause of the burns ‘pon Her face and chest, but no more. Such wounds are no issue for an alicorn. Be at ease. We will need thee at our side in the days to come. Come and return to thine bed, and to the care of the healers.”

Luna extended a foreleg outward, inviting the unicorn into an embrace. She expected the filly to slink over to be comforted. Instead she was still, those barely working, tear filled eyes conveying a look of such pain that it tore Luna’s heart to bits. “S-stop being nice to m-me.” Twilight tripped over her own words as she clearly tried to keep from dissolving into a new round of sobbing. It had taken almost a quarter-hour for Luna to get any sense out of the filly after she had shown up. “I really did it. I k-” Twilight almost choked on the word. She seemed to force it out with a note of self-punishment. “I killed her. She’s dying because of me.”

Shining Armor pushed past the goddess. She once more raised a hoof to urge him back, but this time he ignored his liege, and the glare Luna shot at his back for it. Twilight seemed no more receptive than she had at the start, when she had used her horn’s magic to push back anyone who tried to enter. Given the fact that the unicorn was still suffering from the aftereffects of such drastic overchannelling, even minor magic use must have been painful. The effort needed to even weakly push on something with the room conducting away her magic certainly would not have been minor. Luna hadn’t been wanting to push the issue.

Matching herself against Twilight, with magic or base physicality wasn’t a hopeful prospect either. It was taking all her will just to keep the appearance of normality. She constantly had to be mindful of her wings to keep them from drooping. Her legs wanted to shake from the effort of keeping her erect. She even had to waste precious magic to keep her mane in its normal, ethereal state. She’d managed to snatch an hour or two of sleep, here and there, but until her moon was in ascendance, real rejuvenation would be lost to her. What strength she regained had to be carefully husbanded to help her sister.

Perhaps Twilight’s poor vision just didn’t spot the stallion soon enough this time, but he managed to get a foreleg around his sister’s shoulders. “Twilie. You would never hurt the Princess. We both know that.” Twilight tried to push her sibling away with her hooves. It didn’t shift the much larger, much more fit stallion. It didn’t even make his voice skip a beat. “You’re just not thinking straight. You’re injured. You’re exhausted. Everything will be clearer in a day or two, okay? Cadance will be here soon. She’s just handling the important stuff at Court for Luna. Talking to her always made you feel better.”

Luna’s thoughts were interrupted by Shining Armor skidding back nearly to the door, magenta magic swirling over him. His broad hooves tried, and failed, to find purchase on the smooth rose-gold metal floors. The goddess enveloped her Captain of the Guard with her own power and pulled him out the rest of the way, just so Twilight wouldn’t feel the need to. The fact that she did it with enough force to nearly send his flank into the far wall, without it being too obviously the intent, was just for her. It was a petty, but satisfying bit of revenge for his earlier defiance. The unicorn filly’s horn was sizzling and popping with fraying magic. Each time it happened Twilight gave a twitch, as if she’d just received a strong shock of static. “Enough with this farce. Desist, both of thee.”

Both siblings stopped and looked to their goddess, which was something, at least. Luna took a slow breath to banish that spike of anger. “Very well, Twilight Sparkle. We shall listen. Tell us why thou believes that thou could hurt mine Sister. Dost thou now remember what happened in the courtyard?”

Twilight miserably laid herself down in her corner. One of her hooves fidgeted, probably wanting to rise to her aching horn. The unicorn didn’t speak right away. She gave the impression of trying to gather her thoughts, and to steady herself. “It was really scary,” she eventually murmured, voice dull. “I’d never seen that much magic used. She was just dumping it at Shiny. If he had gotten distracted for even a second...” She trailed off, but nopony needed her to say anything more. They had all seen the gouge taken out of the side of the mountain. Truthfully, Luna had questioned her Sister’s judgement with that little demonstration.”I was just going to get her attention. Maybe, I don’t know, nudge her head back so that she’d be aiming at the sky. So, I lit my horn, and everything just went crazy. There was so much magic around her. In the air. In her. The second I opened the door by using my own magic it all sort of rushed in.”

Well, that was one mystery solved, anyway. Casting in magic-rich areas could be dangerous. Twilight had taken in a ‘breath’ of magic to cast, expecting to find the usual light and airy flows, and instead gotten something heavier and denser. It had been like a pony unexpectedly getting a lungful of water. When a pony starts to drown, they panic. Celestia really should have known better. Most unicorns couldn’t channel enough to be a threat to themselves in such a magic-rich environment, but most unicorns weren’t Twilight Sparkle. “We don’t blame thee for that, dear friend. T’was our Sister’s fault for not warning thee. But Celestia is no unskilled foal. What small fraction of her power escaped uncontrolled would not be enough to lend thee the strength to do what was done to her. An enemy of great power did so, and those capable are few and far between. Discord could have, but we checked ourselves not long ago to ensure his slumber. Perhaps Chrysalis wove a hex ‘pon my Sister when She was at the changelings’ mercy. One which sat dormant until Celestia’s power was strained. It could ev-”

“I made her kill herself.” Twilight interrupted. There was a scrape of metal-on-metal as the two armored guards in the hallway shifted uncomfortably at the words. Shining Armor held a sudden, indrawn breath.

Luna burst into laughter.

Twilight looked up from her misery in sudden surprise, luminous eyes blinking in confusion. Obviously it wasn’t the response she was expecting. Shining Armor looked at the alicorn warily, as if she had gone crazy, or suddenly grown a second head.

“Oh my!” The alicorn snorted, after a time. She slowly forced her laughter down, with a tinge of regret. It was nice to be able to do that again, despite how morbid the topic was. “We love thee dearly, Twilight Sparkle, but somepony clearly has a rather high opinion of herself! Of my Sister and ourself, t’was ever us that was the weaker. Celestia had a mind of steel and fire a thousand years ago. Imagine now! Discord, who counts reality as his plaything, could find no hold upon Her, yet a unicorn who is barely more than a filly could drive Her to suicide? Thou were drunk with Her power. Thine mind’s eye showed thee a nightmare, nothing more. In truth, we are relieved. Not that we truly believed that thou could do such a thing to Celestia, of all ponies, but 'tis such a mystery that there are few enough threads to grasp.”

Twilight seemed to be almost hopeful, the very image of a pony wanting desperately to believe. The unicorn always wore her emotions plainly. That uncomplicated honesty was one of her best qualities. Before long, however, that look faded into a kind of listless resignation. Even so, she hauled herself to her hooves and walked from the cell, head still low, her dragging hoofbeats loud against the metal. Shining’s worried look finally broke into a relieved smile. He started forward to embrace his sibling again. The stallion was stopped with a shake of his sister’s head.

“I want to believe you. And if you’re right and what I did was just a dream, this won’t work. But I didn’t do anything to her mind to make her want to kill herself. Here, I’ll show you. Don’t channel your powers, okay, Princess? It should be safe that way.” The unicorn didn’t wait to explain. There was a half-second or so as she visibly steeled herself for discomfort, and her horn ignited with a far steadier aura than it had within the cell. A misty, amorphous flow of wispy magic emerged, vanishing from mundane sight within a hoofspan of her horn.

The magic of the spell was clear as day to a goddess’s senses. It was a masterfully unique bit of spellcraft. It took a certain brand of genius to work out how to touch something that couldn’t be seen or quantified. But then, Twilight Sparkle had been deep in research on how to catch love itself, perhaps that had given her some subconscious inspiration. That spell reached for the goddess, skirting across the deeper realms of spirit. Recognition dawned on the alicorn. It was the spell she had seen upon her sister’s fallen body. She flinched back, a charge of disruptive energy gathering in her wings to shear the spell as she had before. She didn’t act in time. The closest tendril gently brushed up against her. She felt a disturbing lurch deep within her. The flow of strength from her still set moon attenuated briefly, sending a chill through her. The darkness of her mane took on an odd luminescence, glinting with escaping, silvery moonlight. It wasn’t a painful sensation, but it was distinctly strange. Unlike Celestia, Luna’s power was something gentle and stable. It didn’t need to be tightly leashed. Still, the sensation had her snapping up one foreleg to her chest, which was foolish, since the feeling was no more in her barrel than any other physical part of her. The goddess, unbalanced from the reflex and already on shaky standing from fatigue, toppled over with a distinct lack of grace.

There was a confusing flurry of motion and activity in the moments that followed. By the time Luna banished the disorientation of the spell and her fall, the tableau in front of her had changed drastically. Shining Armor had his shoulder against the chest of one of the guards, bellowing at his subordinates to stand down. It was impressive enough that he could manage to hold the other stallion back. A unicorn usually has no chance at all in a physical test against an earth pony. The other guard had the comparatively diminutive Twilight under him, a hoof hard against her cheek, forcing her horn painfully down against the ground, an act which, not surprisingly, had the filly squealing in pain. It was certain to be hurting badly after that spell without being forced to near-cracking by a stallion. Shining Armor must have noticed as well, because Luna could sense magic gathering toward the Guard Captain.

“BE STILL!” Luna shouted with the full fury of the Voice. It very nearly sent all of the stallions tumbling away. The entire wing of the palace quaked on its foundations.The whole scene froze, except for the ragged panting of the bookish unicorn.

Luna took a slow breath of her own and rose to a proper, regal posture. If a distasteful task was to be done, she needed to do it as a Princess, with some measure of dignity. “Lock Twilight Sparkle in the cell. Bring a unicorn Guard to activate the suppression spells.”

Shining Armor looked on in shock. He spoke in his sister’s defense, as Luna knew he would. “Princess! I’m sure she didn’t mean any harm! She-”

“Nay!” Luna interrupted, making a sweeping gesture of denial with a hoof. “We do not imprison her for what she just did. T’was foolish to do so with the guards so on edge, but we were not harmed, as strange as it was. If we had been Celestia, in the height of unleashed, near-unbound power? We would not have thought it possible, but we believe it. A mortal has struck down a goddess using her own strength.”

Something appeared to go out of the prone Element of Magic. Hope, perhaps. All the fight left her. Tearful eyes closed tightly. She seemed to gather in on herself without moving.

Shining Armor had the opposite reaction. He shook his head quickly, his voice rising in willful denial. “Even if she did, it wasn’t something she meant to do. Twilight would never knowingly hurt Princess Celestia. The Princess was practically her mother!”

“We are not asking thee to do as we commanded, Captain. Thou shalt remove thyself from involvement with this. Lieutenant Glint shall handle the dungeons, and report to us directly, not thou.”

“I don’t care who handles it. It shouldn’t be done at all!”

“She may have killed Celestia!” Luna snarled back, fragile temper snapping, an unnatural, resonant volume added to her words by the Voice. The alicorn’s eyes shone white with anger. Her wings were flared. She advanced in slow steps upon her Captain of the Guard. Despite his obvious desire to remain resolute, the stallion retreated one half-step at a time. “That she is our dearest friend, and Equestria’s former savior, is the only reason she does not lie broken ‘neath our hooves at this moment!”

The alicorn stopped. The harsh light faded from her eyes. There was silence again in the hallway, broken only by the subdued sobbing of the lavender unicorn.

“Shining Armor,” The alicorn spoke in a more controlled fashion, but there was a hint of glacial coldness below it. “We speak no ill against thy honor or thy duty, but we are not so cruel as to force thee to do what must be done. We know Celestia would forgive her. But Celestia is a better mare than us. Until my Sister recovers to provide that forgiveness, Twilight Sparkle can rot in that cell. Take it as a mercy. Once her crime is known, it will be the safest place for her.” The lunar mare brushed past him, much as he had done to her earlier.

“And if she doesn’t recover?” The tone of Shining Armor’s question made it clear enough that he could guess the answer.

“Pray that She does,” Luna said without slowing or looking back.

* * *

The darker Royal Sister grit her teeth against the burn of poison seeping through her veins. Yet she dared not stop herself from drawing in ever more. It was a sickly foulness that brought weakness and burning fever. It felt like acid eating her from the inside. She swallowed down the urge to retch. She couldn’t show that weakness to her subjects around her. Still, those nearest her were trained to spot such illness. Doubtless it could be seen in the thinner parts of her coat, around her lips, nose and at the corner of her eyes. A pale, greyish pallor against the darkness of her body. She felt the gentle hoof of one of the healers upon her crest.

“Princess?”

The alicorn pretended not to hear it. Her horn burned more brightly. The noxious green miasma she was pulling from her dying sister into herself thickened and oozed with renewed haste toward her, as if in malevolent hunger. Luna filled her lungs deeply to try to stave off nausea.

“Princess, please!”

She resisted the urge to snap at the stallion that touched her. That would break her concentration. It took all of her focus to marshal the tattered shreds of her sun-weakened power toward her distasteful task. Purification was Celestia’s domain. She was all illuminating light and cleansing fire. All Luna had was the sympathy and flow of the tides. She couldn’t restore her sister’s poisoned blood, but it was well within her power to share the burden of it. To move it toward herself. It was worth it, to return some meager colour to the practically corpse-grey skin under her sister’s tarnished, ragged coat, if even for a few hours.

“Princess Luna, stop this at once!” A sharper, female voice rang out in the room.

The shock of it drew her attention for a moment, long enough for her spell to lose cohesion and collapse into chaotic uselessness in a silvery flash. Luna tried to recast it, quickly, but it took far more energy to create a spell than to simply sustain one already in existence. Illness and bone-deep weariness took too high a toll. Without that single-minded focus, she found she could barely stand, let alone weave complex magic. She forced her head to stay high, and turned to look toward that familiar voice that interrupted her with a look of injured annoyance. “Rarity. Why didst thou interrupt us? Where is thy loyalty to Celestia?”

Most would have cowered at the merest hint of irritation from Luna. There were at least some benefits to her fearsome legend, if not nearly enough to balance the loneliness of such a reputation. Rarity, however, was unmoved. She was a masterful statue of silent grace and nobility, like a white marble relic of long-dead Unicornia. Luna had thought it rather absurd when Celestia had told her that Rarity had simply expected to breeze into the previous Gala and instantly charm a princely stallion. It seemed less and less silly with each passing day. “Princess, I’m afraid that it’s come to my attention that you have been putting yourself in mortal peril here each, for lack of a better word, night. I was sure I had misheard. After all, if you were to fall ill as well, Equestria would fall to Cadance’s hooves.” Rarity stepped forward unhurriedly. Luna wasn’t sure if she should be insulted that some of the younger guards turned their eyes from their ailing princess to watch that graceful gait. “And while I know you share my opinion that Cadance will make a fine Princess one day, she’s still barely older than a filly herself. Equestria is a rather heavy burden in its current state.”

Don’t I know it, Luna immediately thought to herself.

Luna glanced to the doctor at her side. A small motion of her muzzle dismissed him, and had him finding something very interesting to do on the opposite side of the room. She lowered her voice to speak as privately to the approaching Element as was possible in such an overcrowded space. “There is reason in thy words, Rarity. But this is not a matter for reason. If thine own sister lay dying, wouldst thou not do anything to save her, no matter the cost to thyself?” Rarity blinked her icy eyes, but Luna raised a weary hoof before she could respond. “Thou needn’t answer. We well know the response that Generosity would give.”

Sure enough, there was a moment of quiet, but Rarity had likely never been accused of being overly taciturn. “Yes, of course I would do anything. For any of my friends or family. However, I have the leisure of being a normal, unimportant pony. What’s more, Princess Celestia wouldn’t want you doing...” Rarity made a motion to indicate Luna herself. The alicorn suffered a moment of absurd self-consciousness, knowing she must look terrible, especially in comparison to the perfectly prim white unicorn. “...this to yourself. Not for a second.”

“Of course not. Celestia was the previous holder of Generosity, Kindness and Loyalty. All High Virtues that imply no small degree of selflessness.”

Rarity couldn’t quite keep a raptly curious look from her face. Details of the monarchs in the distant past were hard to come by. “Not Laughter? Really. I hear she’s quite an incorrigible prankster. And, no offense Princess, but rumor was that you didn’t even know the meaning of ‘fun’ on Nightmare Night.”

The princess gave the mare an incredulous look. “We find that we are constantly plagued by rumor. We knew its meaning. How could we not? We simply meant that the festivities and games are different from the entertainments of ponies from our era. In those times, our dearest Sister was terribly serious, whilst we beheld the glories of the world with all the wonder of a foal.”

Luna’s voice dropped further in volume, barely even a whisper. Her formal tongue slipped toward the modern, to ensure she was understood. “But I grew bitter. My thoughts darker. All those I longed to play with, dance with, to trick and laugh with ever slept through the mysteries and magic of the nights I crafted. So Laughter fell on deaf ears. My Honesty became assurances to myself of the eternal continuity of that state. With none to share my Magic with, its power turned toward selfish use. That is what I lived through. That and a thousand years a prisoner in the cold and dark, raging within the worst parts of myself.” She turned to look over her shoulder at the stillness of her Sister’s ashen, diminished form on the bed behind her. “While she beheld a millennium of golden glory. She fostered the best in our subjects. Led them toward fulfillment and prosperity. She basked in the undying love of millions. She heard their prayers whispered in gratefulness. Is it any surprise that she would be a better host for the virtue of joy now? Celestia grew and matured, while I simply continued. Or diminished.”

No small measure of bitterness has crept into Luna’s whispering toward the end. It was no surprise Rarity picked up on it. “You sound as if you’re angry at her for it, Princess.”

“Yesss,” the dark alicorn hissed. The tone made Rarity take a half-step back. “I often find that I hate my Sister. The hatred of the foalish, jealous mare.” Luna turned more fully, to lean over the bed just far enough to nuzzle at the once lustrous coat covering the flawless curve of her Sister’s shoulder. Her normal speech returned as her voice filled with softer, thicker emotion. “We love Her too. More than anything. Our Sister has always been everything to us. We find more to admire in Her now than ever before. Far more. Once She was a vain and domineering thing. She and I were less well suited to the High Virtues than your friends, in many ways. Now, She has wisdom and depth.” Luna settled back, closing her eyes. Despite her tone, she knew the look on her face showed nothing. She wasn’t sure herself what she was feeling, so that suited.

The alicorn almost jumped when the companionable touch of a muzzletip graced her cheek, and a foreleg rose comfortingly to hers. The Princess of the Night suddenly found her emotions finding a center. She swallowed to fight a gathering of tears. The emotion settled thick and heavy in her stomach. “I’ve had to learn the lesson you’re speaking of too, Princess. In jealousy. I’m afraid your issue carries far more history, and is not so easy to solve as mine. All I can offer is to be the proverbial understanding shoulder, if you need it.”

Oh yes, I need it. The poison from Celestia’s blood clearly isn’t the only venom in me.

The princess didn’t speak it, however. She did allow a hoof to settle across Rarity’s back, holding her in a tentative embrace. That small bubble of silence in the crowded room wasn’t awkward, but nor could it be overly close, not with so many others near. Still, the quietly supportive companionship made the dizziness of fever and sickness seem less overwhelming.

Endless Generosity. She is indeed better suited to it than Celestia was. There’s no wonder that Rarity and the others could do what even ‘Tia could not, in freeing me.

Luna drew away after a time, making sure to wear a look of proper composure. She didn’t feel very composed. Perhaps she felt less alone, which was something. All the imperfections in her, however, felt like they had been brought to jagged prominence. She knew Rarity would give everything to smooth those flaws, if given the chance, but now was not the time for that sort of healing. Not when all her energy was needed for a more tangible sort for Celestia.

“Perhaps it would help to lower the sun? Twilight has told me that you’re far more vital at night. You could spend some time in relaxation. Pamper yourself. I happen to know Canterlot has a few excellent spas, but anything would do, even a simple bit of beauty sleep. I just got up, myself. I could fend off the nobles seeking a held hoof for an evening.”

Luna gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head. “Nay. We would regain our strength far more quickly, yes. Our power is in ascendance at night. But instead Celestia’s is in nadir. We would weaken Her instead. We could better care for Her, but She would be less able to fight for life. Who’s to know if it would be an improvement? We dare not take the chance. In truth it would likely take all of our remaining power. We do not have the thousand years of practice controlling our opposite that Celestia has.”

The princess of the night found herself once more shaking her head, this time as a prelude to changing the topic. “We are surprised that thou did not plead for Twilight’s release.” A corner of Luna’s lips curled upward ever so slightly. “Or has that already occurred? Perhaps Loyalty has subdued my guards? Or Honesty has bucked through the door? Or the wall? Perhaps Laughter simply spirited her through the wards against teleportation?”

Rarity took the change of topic and tone readily enough, she even laughed softly. “Well. The guards are nursing a few bruises. But Twilight herself calmed Dash down. In truth, all those things, and more, certainly were discussed as a possibility. Well, not the Pinkie one. I’m not sure how she’s supposed to do something like that.”

Luna’s look became one of hopeless incredulity. Am I the only one who notices what that pony can do?

“The truth is, Princess, Twilight wouldn’t leave that cell. She’d just teleport back in if we pulled her out by the tail, I feel. She believes she deserves to be in there.”

“And what dost thou think?” Luna asked,

“I... I’m afraid I don’t know what to think.” The mare’s ears went flat with dismayed guilt. “Oh, Celestia help me. I’m almost scared of my own friend. She’s a wonderful mare. You’ve seen that yourself. Caring, modest and faithful. Even charming, in an endearingly awkward sort of way. She always means well, but she can be a tad unstable. I always considered her harmless, even so. But... well... if she can do what she did to a goddess when she’s out of control, what could she do to normal ponies?”

“It is a problem we have been aware of for some time. There is a reason Celestia took personal responsibility for her when she was a foal. No mortal unicorn we have ever known has had to grapple with the power that Twilight holds. Starswirl, Sombra, even Clover could have outmatched Twilight when we first met her, but they had a lifetime to gather and learn to control their strength. She’s barely a mare, not even come into her full flower.” Luna looked to her slumbering sister. “You were a fool, Celestia.”

Rarity winced at the harsh words spoken to the fallen goddess. “For taking Twilight in?”

“Nay. T’was an act of kindness that we would expect from Her. Celestia can’t even bring herself to slay dire enemies. She imprisons them with hope for their eventual redemption. For an innocent foal, She would have only the gentlest touch. We can’t fault it.” Luna glanced back toward the white unicorn. “This tragedy was Celestia’s fault more than anypony’s. She knew the knife’s edge Twilight Sparkle’s control rested upon. Yet She didn’t think to consider how Her student’s fear for her brother would mix with pouring a flood of magic into the air. It was a thoughtless mistake.”

“Then why hold Twilight in a cell?”

“Because we are angry,” Luna spat those words. “Because we keep failing to protect Celestia, and small, petty revenge is all we can have. Not only that, thine thoughts were true. Twilight is a dire threat to everypony around her, especially given her state of mind.” The dark mare sighed, closing her eyes and raising a hoof to rub at them. “And also because we love Twilight dearly. She was our first real friend since our return. Were she free, somepony would inevitably be less kind than we in seeking redress. The appearance of decisive action can only help in keeping a noose from around Twilight’s neck.”

Luna expected some kind of strong reaction from the unicorn. Instead she received a look of puzzlement. “Pardon? I’m afraid I don’t understand the reference.”

“A noose? Gallows?” Nothing. Luna sighed. “They shall hang Twilight Sparkle by the neck with a rope until she dies.”

Rarity gasped, pretty eyes wide, pupils shrinking to tiny, horrified pinpricks. That was more what Luna was expecting. “T-that’s barbaric! Ponies don’t do things like that anymore, Princess! Not for centuries. We aren’t some bunch of bloodthirsty griffons.”

“So one would think. Dost thou know of thy Parliament? Of the few unanimous votes it has cast?”

Rarity was clearly shaken. There was an ill expression upon her face. Clearly her fealty outweighed her own feelings, however. “Y-yes. The first vote Celestia put before the Parliament was for her own removal as sovereign. Every vote that was cast favored retaining her. She did it again eighty years ago, in my great grandsire’s day, on the Parliament’s hundredth anniversary. It gave all of the palace staff a terrible fright, but the vote was unanimously in her favor once more.”

“She’ll likely put a vote forward for the both of us two decades hence, as well. ‘Tis one of the powers she gave the Parliament at its founding. A unanimous vote is above her veto. They could even vote to abolish the crown, should the representatives of all ponykind vote it to be in the best interests of Equestria.” Luna shook her head with a sort of wry amusement, and glanced at her sleeping sister with no small amount of affection. “We could see why She would do so, from a political standpoint. To give the false appearance of choice, when she knew that she would always have her supporters. But we know the intent is genuine. She believes ponykind is strong enough to stand on its own hooves, should they want to. In any case, nay. That wasn’t what we intended to point out. There has only been one other issue that has ever received a unanimous vote in that fractious hall, in its early days. A vote to retain the one crime in Equestria that still warrants death: deicide, or the attempt thereof, as has always been the case, obviously. It is hardly a well-used law, exercised but a handful of times since my banishment, even counting more ‘barbaric’ days. It takes a special breed of nihilistic madness to perchance doom the world to eternal ice or fire by breaking the Cycle of Days.”

Her own breed of madness, as the case may have been.

“Can’t you pardon her?” Came Rarity’s desperate, and expected question.

“Of course we could. It remains our duty to ensure good justice. But that would be... imprudent. The House of Ladies and the Parliament are rather wary of having a former monster upon the throne. I would rather not tempt one of those unanimous decisions myself. Better to wait and stall until Celestia recovers and have her issue the pardon. Nopony will think twice about that.”

Rarity’s own ice-blue eyes went to the comatose alicorn. Luna didn’t need her to speak to know what she was thinking.

“She shall recover. Celestia is vitality and strength itself. Best not to dwell on dark thoughts that will not come to pass.” Especially since Luna would allow Twilight’s trip to the noose if they did. It was too dangerous to allow her to exist, with her ability to threaten the last remaining entity able to keep the Cycle of Days. The secret Celestial Arcana of ancient Unicornia might be rediscovered in time to save the world, if the Sisters were gone, but that would mean an end to Equestrian society in any case. Unicorns had a habit of poorly handling power, from Luna’s experience. Besides, if the worst happened, Twilight would have robbed the world, and Luna, of something too precious for her to forgive. The alicorn dared not speak such thoughts to Rarity, who seemed to take her plans to delay the trial as some kind of promise that she wouldn’t allow Twilight to face her punishment. Luna would carry that shame alone.

The princess rallied her strength and forced herself up onto her hooves with all the appearance of energy. “In any case, to thine original worries. We shall not strain ourself unduly. Fragile mortality is not one of our failings, and Equestria is too great a burden to thrust upon others. We shall be there to guide it as our Sister would. You have duties, Rarity. Be with thine friends. Twilight Sparkle was their center. That is the role of Magic. Without it, it is all the more important that the bonds between thee be strengthened. We may need thee and the Elements, with Celestia laid low. Our enemies will sense weakness. We shall likewise do our own duty for Equestria, and hopefully with some measure of the grace you show.”

* * *

“If thou wishes to have their respect, act the part.” Luna’s tone was clipped and impatient. She’d hoped to slink quietly to Court, preferably through the darker, deserted back halls, where she wouldn’t have to talk to anypony, and she could drag her hooves. She should have known that would be impossible. “Show a bit of spine. Thou art the size of a large stallion, with an earth pony’s strength, the speed of a pegasus, and the magic to break the back of an army of changelings. Force the Guard to respect thee, with thine own hooves if thou must. Thou simply doth not know how to deal with ponies, Cadance.”

“I don’t know how to deal with ponies? Me!? This coming from Miss Thou, who spent her first year back from exile hiding in libraries, or under her covers?” Cadance’s violet-tipped wings flared in a sudden burst of anger. The excessive pigment around her eyes, some fashion inherited from Celestia no doubt, exaggerating the narrow-eyed, murderous look upon her face. “I don’t want them to be scared of me. I tried that, and it made me feel like a foal. I want them to listen to me. Celestia never went around kicking flank.”

Luna traded the look with a venomous one of her own. Which was easy, since she was full of poison at the moment, after all. She didn’t dignify the talk of her awkward first year with a response. Besides, it was slightly possible her own foul mood was rubbing off on the demigoddess, through her empathic sense, which made it harder to blame her. “Celestia had the force of a thousand years of history behind Her. She ‘kicked flank’ a great deal in Her younger days. Perhaps the aristocracy wouldn’t be a bunch of squalling, useless children if She had kept Her mettle through the ages. Perhaps Her injury is a boon for that. Mayhap I should remind them of discipline and honor in Her place. With mine hoof, if necessary. It will show thee how it is done.”

Cadance resettled her plumage with obvious effort. Her attentions seemed to become more distant and unfocused, even as her eyes narrowed further. “Yeah. Maybe you shouldn’t be making any policy decisions at this point. You’re a wreck. Here, let me...” The youngest alicorn closed her eyes entirely, and her sides began to swell with indrawn breath. That slow inhale became a squawk as something suddenly struck her side.

Luna’s movement happened quicker than conscious thought. A shock of icy terror shot through her, and she’d simply spun and crossed the distance between herself and her ‘niece’ in a bound almost too quick for mortal eyes. She barely felt the impact when it came, shoulder and chest driving the filly alicorn into the wall, her more solid weight holding Cadance there, pinned to it. She pressed the tip of her muzzle against the younger goddess’ cheek, to hold her head to cold stone, as well. The filly’s eyes were opened wide, looking back at Luna with shock.

Luna scrambled back, her metal shoes making the retreat sound frantic. The elder alicorn stopped only when she was a body length from her counterpart. The unexpected end to the force holding Cadance to the wall made her stumble, her own gold-shod hooves adding their clatter to Luna’s as she caught herself.

There was a long moment of stillness, which held only breathing quickened by fear and anger. For both parties, as it turned out. “Never, niece,” the dark alicorn whispered, breaking that silence. “Thou shalt not use thine powers upon us. We spent a thousand years under the influence of the darkness, scratching in vain upon the walls of our own mind. If we dare not give in to ourself, how do you think we view others stripping our will from us?”

“You’re hurting so badly, Luna. I would never...”

“Indeed, thou shalt never. Never again think to direct us. If we are in pain, then that pain is ours to deal with. We will master it. It won’t be taken from us. We followed the easy path to deal with pain before, and look where it led us.” Luna turned, beginning to walk away from the demigoddess. Her legs trembled under her, despite her posture of false assurance. “We will ever remain Luna, even if it hurts.”

* * *

“THOU DAREST TO USE MINE SISTER’S INJURY FOR THE FURTHERANCE OF THINE AMBITION, ‘NEPHEW’?” Luna roared in the full fury of the Voice. The carpet leading down from her throne rippled in its wake. Marble tile creaked ominously under the assault, likely unheard beneath the din, but ready to split and crack. The decorative torches guttered in the winds.

“Auntie Luna! I wouldn’t...” Blueblood, Crown Prince of Unicornia, stammered after a deep swallow. The dark alicorn felt a sudden kinship with wolves that would set themselves on their prey in a moment of weakness. She allowed herself a deeply satisfying private fantasy in which she leaped down from the throne to knock the ‘prince’ through the nearest stained glass window with a buck. Maybe if she hadn’t been so sure she’d embarrassingly fail to get that distance in front of the whole court, she might have done it.

Luna’s voice lowered to less ear splitting levels and somehow it became all the more terrifying for its hushed tone. It dripped with threat and malign promise. She might not have had the Nightmare’s fangs any longer, but it would be easy to imagine her with them. “Spare us. We are not our Sister. She would give thee a disappointed look and send thee off with a matronly frown. We have no such patience for an overgrown foal. The handlers who pull thy strings have done thee a disservice. We can only imagine the sickness that thou would inflict upon Equestria with the Guard in thy inept hooves.”

“Auntie! Please! I-”

The dark goddess didn’t even let him get as far as last time. “We promise thee, we would rather replace Shining Armor with Discord than with thee! Thou didn’t even have the mind to see that the foals who convinced you to try this idiocy were sending you out as a lamb to the wolves, to test my reaction. If we were tempted to sign Canterlot’s safety over to some noble of dubious morality, we would choose one with at least a passing familiarity with intelligence. Guards! Remove this errant bit of trash as it deserves. If Celestia wishes him to blight Her halls, She can deal with him when She returns to this Court. We do not.”

Blueblood made quite the racket with his grovelling and blubbering. Luna ignored it. Likewise she tuned out the muttering and whispering among the crowd of nobility to either side of the room. Everyone knew Blueblood was an idiot, but she’d discovered how the nobles would herd together to protect even a fool such as he. They took an insult to any one of them as some kind of attack on their glorious heritage. It was absurd, but they could make Luna’s rule difficult. At that point, she didn’t care. The lunar mare rose up off her throne, to stand upon the dais.

The alicorn spoke slowly, to be sure to properly render her words into modern Equestrian. Cadance’s earlier pointing out of her archaic speech still stung. “I speak for the sake of clarity. You have all heard what Twilight Sparkle has done. In my eyes this has no bearing on the honor of Guard Captain Armor. Upon his shoulders rests the triune blessings of the Goddesses of Equestria. He is above reproach. He shall remain at his post, and I shall hear no more of it.” Luna took a brief glance to her right. She could see Shining Armor in profile, at the base of the dais, his face stoic and unreadable, as a Guard’s should be. It didn’t fool Luna for a second. She’d seen him speaking to Cadance before the opening of the Court. She didn’t need her niece’s empathy to feel the sullen resentment pouring off of him in her direction. “There shall be no changes of post or status. Do your duties to Equestria as they were. I will look with ill favor upon any attempt to treat the injury of your goddess as an opportunity.”

Luna sat herself gracefully back down upon the cushion on her throne. She knew she hadn’t made any friends with her speech. Certainly she hadn’t salved any injury over her lashing out at Blueblood. She didn’t have the energy for honeyed words. Coddling a group of spoiled foals was for a time when she wasn’t exhausted, feeling ill and carrying the weight of a nation on her shoulders. “Let us continue.”

The next petitioner walked forward, and already Luna had to swallow a sigh. First impressions of that wheedling stallion that approached were confirmed when he asked that some of the Regular Army be called back to the capital to safeguard the estates from the nobility in case of riot or panic, the rest of Equestria be damned.

This is the longest day of my life, Luna complained to herself, and not just literally.

* * *

“I’ll lower the sun when I can spare the strength from Celestia’s recovery. You know that I’m sympathetic to your cause, Star Chart. I’m always happy that those in the Royal University’s Planetarium enjoy my sky.” Luna spared a pitying smile for the grey unicorn that was at the foot of the dais. The alicorn hoped against hope that speaking a bit more approachably would actually get through to the stallion this time. “But I assure you, there is nothing for you to miss. I keep telling you that there is no secret encoded within my work for you to discover. A few days’ lapse in your observations won’t let some cosmic epiphany sneak by.”

“Well, that’s just what you would say, Your Majesty,” the astronomer replied, with all seriousness, “if you were trying to keep the Secrets from unworthy, unlearned eyes.”

Luna brought her hoof to her face. She couldn’t help it.

* * *

“Yes, I realize that the pause in the cycle of days will ruin the weather schedules. It is rather the least of my concerns. A few days of sunset will do no great harm. You may reassure your colleagues that I am sure it will not render Equestria into a barren desert. The sun is over the western ocean. Perhaps Vanhoover shall see more rain. Having been there, I can say that nopony will notice the difference.”

* * *

“For the third time: Nay.” Luna ground out, lapsing back into her normal speech. She tried to keep the frustration from her voice, but the best she could do was to manage to sound bored. “Now is not the time for a burdensome trial. The changelings skulk in the shadows. Celestia still recovers. Panic over the continuing day haunts our cities. Twilight Sparkle is a matter that can wait. She is held within a palace cell. She isn’t going anywhere.”

* * *

“Nay, Twilight Sparkle is not a changeling. Nor are the other Elements. And nay, we can’t be entirely sure it isn’t the cause of some kind of compulsion. It’s a possibility, if an unlikely one, and is one of the reasons we had to deny the last four ponies pointing out that Twilight Sparkle’s guilt is just so clear that a trial is unnecessary. However, if it did exist, the compulsion has since faded. We have examined her. Twilight Sparkle is beside herself with guilt. Even if all that weren’t the case, a magical compulsion can’t spread to her guards, as thou suggested. Honestly, thou should know as much, as a graduate of Celestia’s School, Lord Fleur!”

* * *

“NO MORE TALK OF THIS. TWILIGHT SPARKLE SHALL RECEIVE A TRIAL AND IT SHALL NOT BE TODAY. THE SUN WILL REMAIN WHERE IT IS. CELESTIA IS MENDING. WE DID NOT PLAN ALL OF THIS. THE COURT OF THE SUN IS ADJOURNED. BEGONE! WE HAVE BUSINESS BEYOND THIS PRATTLE TO ATTEND. SHINING ARMOR, GET UP FROM THE GROUND AND BRING IN THE POLICE COMMISSIONER WHO REQUESTED AN AUDIENCE.”

* * *

Lightning flashed. The Canterlot Weather Service planned clear skies over the city throughout the week, and they weren’t wrong. Inside of the throne room, however, was a different story. An oppressive, dark thunderhead shrouded the high ceiling from sight. Luna sat on her throne, still as a statue, in stark contrast to her mane and tail. Those had swirled and billowed out to great volume, forming a tempest of shining stars and midnight sky covering half of the wall behind her. The Court Scribes were huddled together in a protective pile in the far corner. The guardsponies had moved themselves closer to the meager shelter of the pillars at the side of the room. Even Shining Armor’s horn was weakly glowing as he held the spell for a magical shield at the ready. Canterlot’s Police Commissioner, a pale teal stallion, immaculate in his uniform, was wide-eyed, leaning backward slightly, as if ready to bolt.

“Pinkie Pie.” Luna’s voice wasn’t exactly loud. It carried its power in a deep, subsonic rumble that set the whole room trembling, and was felt in the bones of nearby ponies.

“Y-Yes, Majesty.” The stallion flinched subtly, as if surprised by his own shaking voice. He spent a second getting himself back under control, forcing himself into a more dignified, upright posture. “Miss Pinkamena Diane Pie...” Luna’s brow arched. It was a rather absurd name. No wonder the filly shortened it. The officer continued, “...wasn’t the target of our investigation. We were watching a mare named Butter Shade, on suspicion of selling Moon Drops. We were, to put it mildly, surprised when Miss Pie appeared, and purchased Miss Shade’s entire stock.”

Luna grit her teeth, struggling to keep herself still. It was a futile gesture at appearing calm. Even if she didn’t move, the starscape of her mane swelled and swirled more violently, and several decorative sconces on the wall were blackened by stray bolts of lightning. It had to be Moon Drops, Luna seethed, to herself. Of course it couldn’t be something less insulting. It had to be that vile substance made from my poor Moon Lily. My flower. My gift. My memorial. That creature couldn’t have done anything less than the worst, could she?

The commissioner, whose name Luna couldn’t recall, continued on while she raged within herself. “We apprehended Miss Shade, and detailed a team to follow Miss Pie. It was... difficult. I’ll spare you the details, but by the end we had scraped together four teams, with pegasi spotters and unicorns with tracking spells. At best we managed to successfully follow her to perhaps two-thirds of her destinations. Her abilities with stealth and misdirection are incredible.” There was a note of grudging respect in the officer’s voice. Luna didn’t share it, but she could understand it. He thought he was dealing with an earth pony, not... whatever Pinkie Pie was. He made the mistake of ascribing her impossible blasphemies against reality to skill and cunning. “We strongly suspected six of the ponies she met and made purchases from to be players in the drug trade. We thought they constituted essentially the entire illicit market in Canterlot, and we were gathering our evidence. Today we made fifteen arrests by following Miss Pie and witnessing her purchases.”

An admission of actually being wrong. From a unicorn in power. In Canterlot. It was a novelty that nearly threatened to break up the worst of Luna’s mood. It was tempered by the fact that the mistake was in underestimating the size of the insult and heart-sick injury that Equestria’s citizens were producing right under her very nose.

“We estimate somewhere in excess of five hundred Moon Drops were...”

Luna cut the Commissioner off mid-sentence. “Enough. Have Laughter found.” Her voice was just shy of a snarl.

“What do you intend to do?” The voice nearly caused Luna to give a start. It was Shining Armor, not a stallion prone to breaking the Guard’s stoic image when on duty in his most official capacity, at Court. “We can’t very well go and throw another of the Bearers of the Elements in prison.” His words carried a certain spiteful tone, doubtless thinking his sister shouldn’t be there either. “First all this with Celestia, and now Equestria’s heroes? It’ll be a disaster. Besides, this is Pinkie Pie.”

Unfortunately, it seemed to Luna as if she was the only pony who understood exactly what went along with that name. She squashed down the urge to snap at the Guard Captain for his tone. Instead she changed tracks entirely. “Do you think Cadance loves thee? Dearly and wholly?”

The stallion seemed rather taken aback by the question. There was some small flicker of self-consciousness in his eyes, but he nodded firmly, as if daring Luna to say otherwise. “Yes, I’m sure of it.”

“Thou should be. She loves thee with the whole of her heart. A love that is unjaded by cynicism. A pure love. That can only happen once, with our first, before we learn to guard ourselves from pain. She shall never love another as she loves thee, in all her days.” Luna studied the stallion, noting a small measure of surprise. Perhaps the beginnings of a bit of chagrin. The assurance of her villainhood, so carefully cultivated over the last few hours and days, following the incident with Twilight and his conversation with his wife before Court, faltered somewhat in the wake of her newfound kindness. “Thou shalt die, and she will continue. The sweetness of her love will gain a bitter edge, but will never diminish. She will always remember thee.”

The pale stallion’s look was unreadable, except for a hint of confusion. Luna couldn’t really blame him. “I’m not sure what to say to that. What does it have to do with Pinkie Pie?”

“It shall not surprise me if Cadance will feel the need to do something to remember thee throughout the long ages of her life. A memorial, to put into form some tiny shadow of what is in her heart.” Luna’s voice softened, losing some of its haughty formality. “The Moon Lily is my memorial. For Lily White. Into it I poured some small measure of the happiness she brought me.” And Celestia had safeguarded it for her. For a thousand years. That revelation had led to a rather embarrassing night of blubbering wetly in thanks against Celestia’s coat. “‘Tis our gift. When we wish to share that joy.” Luna stomped her forehoof down. The sound echoed sharply around the throne room as the marble under Celestia’s red carpet cracked. The ponies scattered around the large hall jumped. “And what has been done to it? Fiends and ne’er-do-wells take that monument to our love and warp it into something to cloud the mind of foolish ponies! And now we’re forced to wonder: does Laughter play-act her Virtue using stolen happiness? She is to be found. And she will explain.”

“And if that explanation isn’t one you like?” Shining Armor asked, eyes slightly narrowed with no small accusation.

Luna ignored it, even though it stung. “Then there shall be little enough use for laughter,” she answered, darkly, even though she knew it would make the Captain scowl. She wasn’t disappointed. He’d spent far too long around the overly-soft Celestia.

“If I may, Highness?” the Commissioner interjected. Luna flicked an irritated look his way. Didn’t she express her desire to have Pinkie Pie found? At least she had the satisfaction of seeing him properly cringe and bow his head down. Apparently one stallion knew better than to bait an irate goddess. His horn lit with an aura of gold magic. He floated a single gold bit to her.

“We aren’t sure what to make of this, Princess. At first we were expecting a counterfeit. Sometimes a particularly greedy pony will restrike Her Majesty’s coins cut with copper, or silver, or simply coat lead with a thin layer of gold. This one has been restruck, but remains pure. Miss Pie give almost three thousand of them for her... purchases. Where a baker gets that sort of wealth, and why deface it, well...” The Commissioner trailed off, noncommittally, watching as the Princess took the coin with her magic and examined it, slowly rotating it a few inches in front of her nose.

Luna’s pondered the coin. Why indeed would a pony do... that to one of Celestia’s coins? There wasn’t any purpose. Equestria’s money wasn’t a fiat currency, like the gryphons used with their jade beads or bits of dragon bone. A gold coin of any shape, or size, or decoration was worth its weight, technically. Maybe it was just done as a joke? If it was a silver or copper bit, there would be a worry that it was conjured. But creating gold was...

...impossible. Luna’s eyes narrowed. Of course.

“I-In any case, by your leave, Highness, I will see to locating Miss Pie. Do you want us to place her in custody?”

Luna looked past the coin with hard eyes. The commissioner clearly fought the urge to squirm under her gaze. “Nay. We have changed our mind. We shall deal with Pinkie Pie ourself.”

Comments

[Luminary]

That's no moon. It's the next chapter of Crucible.
Apologies for the monolithic size, all.

Luna is best pony, but apparently worst Princess. Sorry Pip.

Next up: Dash, with a chapter that promises to be both more reasonable in size, and finally on the down slope on 'Dark'.

Many thanks to my dashingly dark, mysterious editor, who slaved for many, many hours over this.

[fyre]

luna is definitely best pony
and good chapter too

[Monk With No Name]

Okay did I miss the LunaDash segment or was this the first we've seen it? Bah awesome chapter by the way....now for Moar!

[Jarlax]

I love it when stories look into Pinkie's powers and Fluttershy's STARE. I'd love it if Luna actually figured out what pinkie is. A fallen/budding goddess perhaps? Maybe Pinkie's the secret daughter of Celestia and Discord.

Love the LunaDash too, despite it being a very odd pairing.

[Swarthy Skies]

I wonder if this is going in the direction of all of the main six either gaining a supernatural ability or having one of their talents be revealed as one. Fluttershy's stare and Pinkie Pie's Pinkie Pie...ness have certainly come off as being special in this chapter though I'll have to wait and see if RD, AJ, and Rarity start doing odd things. Only thing this chapter left me for want of was to see how Spike was dealing with his big sister's imprisonment, probably not well

[Mister Morden]

1804280

Early Luna chapter, she intruded on RD's dreams and they were kissing in it. She seems to have a bit of an interest in the daring Element of Loyalty.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Good chapter, I especially liked Luna's struggles. She is reacting with a lot of depth and giving us some good insight into her psyche. How did Twilight manage to nearly kill Celestia... It must have been scary for Luna when she realized that Twi has the power to influence a goddess.

I hope Celestia wakes up soon and can sort this out.

[Monk With No Name]

1805165 yeah you're right....huh I thought there was a little more development than that...not that relationships haven't been born from less.

[Varanus]

I kind of think this was too large a chapter. I got lost at several parts. Still a little confused as to the events that occurred. The toughest part was the confrontation of the Elements. That was a very important scene, but at that point it was in a sea of information and I just got lost in the twists and turns.
I might suggest breaking this up into 2 or even 3 chapters as a result.

Luna's characterization was a little... hmm, too unnecessarily dark, and without reasonable scaling. She says she doesn't want to be controlled and she keeps a tight leash on her mood and actions, supposedly, but she's jumping off the slippery slope rather than sliding gradually. I know what you're trying to do - Luna is under immense stress, poisoned and weakened physically, mentally and emotionally. Her sister is near death, her court is in disarray and her nation at war. This permits her from a narrative point of view to be increasingly poor tempered and agitated, to lash out at others because she's scared and upset and frustrated. But it needs to be gradual.

I'm talking about Cadence. Physically assaulting her in that moment is waaay too much for her to be doing. For a mare so concerned about her own corruption and inner darkness, that would have been a big massive red flag for her to stop and check herself. I'd strongly advise for you to dial that scene back to merely a glare or something of the sort that gets Cadence to back off herself. Something that'd be unlikely but believable for Luna to do when she's in better health, and also something that'd show a more natural progression down the slippery slope towards assaulting the Elements. Luna is nothing if not vigilant against herself.

Speaking of, again, I think that scene loses a lot by being trapped in the middle of the sea of words. The beginning of the confrontation, any one of the spikes in emotion or drama, could be tweaked to make a fantastic cliffhanger, which would help give the reader a moment to breath and recuperate before diving back into the most important scenes of the chapters. Don't underestimate cliffhangers! They let you control tension to a finer degree, and give the readers a few moments to go "oh wow" and contemplate the possibilities before clicking that 'next chapter' button. They are a versatile tool even after you update and reveal how the rest of the scene plays out, so make use of them like you did the last few chapters. Readers love them, despite what they say to the contrary.

I'm rather interested in where you're going with Pinkie here, with the implications that the Elements are amassing some pretty formidable power (Twilight felling an immortal, Pinkie warping reality, even Rarity becoming quite the political butterfly in her own way), and the not-unfounded fears Luna has of them being corrupted. Still, going through a retelling of nearly the entire 'Smile' struck me as a bit unsubtle, especially when you've already well established Luna's unease of Pinkie in similar ways, like her dream scene in one of the previous chapters. Just a snippet would have done - though I confess, I hate fics that retell canon word by word, so there's a little bias speaking here.

So basically, my concerns regarding this chapter are its length distracting the reader from what's important (it certainly did this to me), and Luna's leap off the slippery slope with Cadence. I'm interested in hearing your opinion on these thoughts.

[Luminary]

1805155
We'll be seeing the Mane 6 plus Spike in Dash's chapter, up next.
But yeah, don't think we've seen any new abilities quite yet. Unless you count Twi being good at magic in a new direction. Really just finally have a character boggling at the exceptional things we've seen the Mane 6 do. Dash already does an 'odd' thing this chapter.

1805173
'Tis not really a relationship yet. It's just an attraction, or a crush. Possibly just on Luna's part. Poor Dash didn't exactly get all doe-eyed and gushy when Luna kissed her in front of everyone.

1805305
Admittedly wasn't sure if I would get away with it. I tend to like big chapters, but I know others aren't so crazy about it. So I try to limit myself. This time I needed a lot of room to sell Luna's.. umm.. troubles. It isn't really such a big deal to split it in two. I more or less know where I would do it. I just didn't want to really have the same character in 'two' chapters. Looks like my editor might get the end to one of the sections they wanted.

Honestly, the Smile retelling isn't really to explain Luna's viewpoint on Pinkie. I think that's set up well enough as it is. Not that I begrudge it for further reinforcing the fact. It's there to set the groundwork for important Pinkie Plot (not that kind) later on, and I wanted that song clear in the reader's mind. It also reassures the reader that I'm not absurd enough to think of Pinkie as anything but an entirely benevolent character. I'm not trying to sell that she's, in fact, Cthulhu. Luna is just wrong. Very, very wrong. (Probably.) Plus it let me put some Celestia in! It also lets me show how Luna continuing to struggle with modern custom goes further than language. Her attitude toward romance is rather... primitive.

As for the Cadance scene: We already seen Luna at the glaring stage, with Shining Armor, before she gets the revelation of her friend potentially killing her sister gets shoved into her face, and she starts poisoning herself. Pinning a pony against a wall is worse than that, sure. But it's certainly far more mild than what she intended to do to Pinkie. Especially considering the silly, outdated speech she just delivered to Cadance on not being afraid to apply hoof to rear. Still, since your opinion is certainly one I respect, Varanus, I shall ponder it carefully.

[Luminary]

1805305
Split the chapter right before Luna's worst... issues.

Cadance's scene has been altered, slightly. Swapping one action around in time and changing a word or two can shift the tone of an entire scene quite drastically. Thanks for the advice.

[Crimson Dawn]

As having only read this far I am now wondering from the previous chapters and now that Luna is uncomfortable around Pinkie Pie is partly based on having previously wielded her element and no longer feeling it? Mysteries abound.

[Yami Vizzini]

1806931 Huh, did Luna originally shove Cadance against the wall for that remark about Celestia kicking flank? How did she top that after Cadance tried to Care Bear Stare her?

[Luminary]

4564478
I'd actually just re-read that part, like, ten minutes ago. Weeeeeird.

Giving my own work a look over, as I consider finishing the next chapter, finally. I'm in the mood to write something more like this. (Dear heavens is some of the stuff I have here amateurish and painful!)

In the original scene, she pinned Cadance against the wall for longer. Basically, providing the explanation while still holding her. It gave things a far greater feel of aggression and menace than what exists now, where Luna comes to her senses almost instantly.